So many times this year people have approached me and asked me about how various spiritual practice, prayer, study, song and social connections can bring light into what seems like a dark world. I would like to magically offer that if you join us for Kabbalat Shabbat on Friday night, or come to our Torah study on Saturday mornings, the world will change dramatically. Wouldn’t that be wonderful, even magical! Unfortunately, that is not how spiritual practice works. Spiritual practice works internally to bring inner light where it needs to shine- -within you. It helps connect the heart and the head so that we can seamlessly bring the best of who we are into the world. The magic I hope for is that when you join us at Beth Ohr you are changed in some small way. It does not have to be a dramatic turn around. Just something subtle that may even be hard to recognize in the moment but will express itself when it needs to be expressed.

 

There is so much beauty in the Jewish tradition. I like to think that Cantor Andy and I function as docents at an exhibition whose task is to help you unravel the beauty of the words of the prayers and the wisdom of the Torah. These words have existed and inspired people for centuries, and I suspect they will continue to inspire people for centuries in the future. The durability of our rituals are a living testament to their great value. They are a treasure.

 

There is also something special about being in community. I know I feel it whenever I have the honor of leading you at Beth Ohr in prayer or in study. Your faces, your hearts and your spirits fill the room, whether we are meeting virtually or in person. You not only fill the room but I always sense that you fill it with the inherent goodness and the holiness you were given at birth. Judaism was not designed to be a spiritual practice carried out by individuals in isolation from each other. Our rituals and events were meant to be experienced in community. We pray in minyan, a gathering of ten people.

 

One of the special aspects of community that is so important to me is knowing that you all bring something special to Beth Ohr. You might not feel this specialness, but I do. That is one of the gifts I have received by being your Rabbi. You all are part of a beautiful tapestry that is created whenever we meet. The whole is so much much greater that its parts.

 

We have shared a wonderful year together. And are on the threshold of a new year together. We have some very special events planned for this year starting with our Celebration and Song Fest, Sunday, September 15th, 3:30pm-5:00pm and extending into the High Holidays and beyond. I hope that you will find a way to join us. Our board has created a loving place to find your spiritual home. I know I have found it and I feel blessed.I have one last thought. I have been given the gift and sacred duty to be your Rabbi. Though we meet two days a month, I am your rabbi full time. I hope that you all will feel free to reach out to me whenever you need to.